ARC Review: DR. STRANGE BEARD by Penny Reid

Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak

Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.

Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be . . .

Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.

But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor . . .

Dr. Strange Beard is a full-length romantic comedy novel, can be read as a stand-alone, and is the fifth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Winston Brothers series.

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Review

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved learning about Roscoe!! From the moment I heard about him in previous books to when I knew he'd be getting a story of his very own, I've been holding onto this strange curiosity to really know him. Every one of the Winston brothers (and sister) have their own special quirks, characteristics that are unique to the individual and sets them apart from the rest, and I was intrigued by what Roscoe's would be. I was immediately captivated with the way that the author illustrated his eidetic memory and how it may differ from others with the same type of phenomenal gift. The ways in which his memories were broken down and the coping mechanisms he used to move from one situation to the next were compelling. My heart ached for this character and I found myself so in love with him. And that's all before I knew how HUGE his heart was, how compassionate and caring and understanding he was, and before I realized how incredible a character Roscoe would turn out to be.

As for Simone... while I appreciated that this was an interracial coupling and I always love when I can identify with a character in some way, even if it's just by their physical characteristics, I was also glad that her ethnicity didn't have much of a spotlight. I liked that I kept forgetting what she even looked like. Her mannerisms and her interactions with other characters were where my focus went and I loved that I got to know this character on a deeper level. Not that Simone would care about my feelings or anything, seeing as she isn't a fan of emotions. But that was something else we have in common because I come off as pretty robotic myself. However, as much as I found things to like about her, I didn't love her. Actually, I barely liked her for the first half of the book. How she acted towards Roscoe and the things she thought about him made her my enemy because I was set to defend my sweet, brave man. Luckily things turned around for the better and I didn't have to cut a bitch.

There was a bit of suspense in the mix, which always seems to be the case when it comes to matters involving their daddy's MC, and a thrill or two, but at its core this story was about love and friendship and family and it was full of so much heart. Now I'm wondering if there will be a series for those Paytons because Simone's parents were AMAZING!!

Release: July 30 | Genre: Contemporary Romance/RomCom | Dual POV - 1st person | Heat: 3 | Standalone - Winston Brothers #5